Button-machine



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1. J. MATHISON. BUTTON MACHINE No, 431,001.Patented-June v24, 1890.

NO MOd L 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. MATHISON.

BUTTON MACHINE Patented June 24, 1890 WITNEEEEE." 8%

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH MATHISON, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUTTON-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,001, dated June 24,1890.

Application filed June 29, 1889. Serial No. 815,985- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH MATHISON, of Somerville, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Machines for Loading or Charging Button-Holderswith Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple and effectivemachine for charging tubes or receivers with boot or shoe buttons orother devicessuch as metallic fasteningssaid tubes or receivers beingadapted for detachable connection with a machine for applying suchbuttons orfastenings.

The present invention consists, first, in the combination with areservoir for buttons, drc, having an agitator whereby the buttonstherein are kept in motion, and an outlet through which the buttons thatare presented in the proper position pass from the reservoir bygravitation, of a holder formed to receive the upper end of an inclinedtube orreceiver and hold the same in position to receive the buttons,&c., from the outlet of the reservoir, so that the tube will be filledor charged with buttons or other devices held by the reservoir whenapplied to said holder, and a stop orgate which closes automatically toprevent the escape 'of the buttons or other devices through thereservoir-outlet when the tube or chute is removed from said holder, andis adapted to be displaced by contact with the end of the tube when thelatter is inserted in the holder, so that the application of the tubeopens the outlet.

The invention also consists in the combination, with the reservoir andthe holder for the upper end of the tube, of a support for the lower endof said tube arranged to hold the tube in engagement with said holder.

The invention also consists in an improved clutch device whereby themechanism that operates the agitator in the reservoir may be readilyconnected with and disconnected from the pulley that gives motion tosaid mechanism, all of which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

In the accompanying. drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved tube-loadingmachine. Fig. 2 representsa'front elevation of the same. Fig. 3represents an enlarged section on the plane of line w 00, Fig. 2,showing the outlet of the button-reservoir closed, the button-tube beingremoved from said outlet. Fig. 4 represents a section on line a2 00',Fig. 2. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 'y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 6represents a front elevation of a portion of the machine, showing theclutch devices. part shown in Fig. 6. spective view of the button stopor gate. Fig. 9 represents a transverse section of the but ton tube orchute.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all of thefigures.

I have shown the machine as constructed to hold two button-tubes and tofill the same simultaneously; but it will be evident that the number ofbutton-tubes is immaterial and that the machine may be constructed tohold' one or more.

In the drawings, a represents the buttonreservoir, which is mounted on asupportingstandard b, and is preferably of cylindrical form, its bottombeing inclined so that buttons placed loosely in the reservoir willgravi tate to the lower portion of the bottom from which the outlet 0extends. Said outlet is formed to receive and permit the passage of theshanked buttons 01 when the said buttons are presented to the outletwith their shanks upwardly, as shown in Figs. 3, 4:, and 5, the form ofthe outlet being such that the buttons cannot enter it in any otherposition.

6 represents the holder for the button tube or chute. Said holder, ashere shown, is an extension of the base or bottom of the reservoir,although it may be made as a separate piece or part.

In the holder is formed a socket e, which constitutes a continuation ofthe outlet 0, but is somewhat larger than the outlet and is formed toreceive one end of the button-tube g and hold said tube so that itsinner surface or wall will be flush with the surface or wall of theoutlet, as shown in Figs. 4. and 5, the cross-section of the interior ofthe tube being the same as that of the outlet. It will be seen,therefore, that when the button-tube is inserted in the holder c itconstitutes a continuation of the outlet 0, so that the buttons thatpass into the outlet will pass into the Fig. 7 represents a top view ofthe- Fig. 8 represents a pertube and fill the latter, the buttons beingprevented from escaping from the tube by a spring 1' at the lower end ofthe tube, as shown in Fig. 4:.

j represents a stop or gate, which is adapted to obstruct the outlet 0and prevent the escape of buttons therefrom, as shown in Fig. 3. Saidstop is formed on a shank j, which is adapted to slide in a casing 70and is pressed downwardly by a spring m. The stop has a beveled face j",with which the end of the button-tube comes in contact when the tube isinserted in the holder e and forces the stop upwardly, as-shown in Fig.4, so that its lower end is above the heads of the buttons. The stop jis provided with a slot 3, Fig. 8, which permits the passage of theupwardly-projecting shanks of the buttons when the stop is raised. YVhenthe button-tube is removed from the holder, the stop j is closed by itsspring and prevents escape of the buttons.

t represents an arm projecting horizontally from the lower portion ofthe standard I). At the outer end of said arm is an inclined seat at andan upwardly-projecting lug o. The lower end of the button-tube has aplate 9, which is soldered or otherwise attached to the back of the tubeand projects beyond the lower end thereof for engagement with a socketon the machine to which the tube or receiver is attached. Said platerests on the inclined seat u, and projects through a slot in the lug o,said slot being wide enough to receive the plate g, but narrower thanthe button-tube g, so that the lower end of the button tube bearsagainst the upper side of the rib o, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and isprevented thereby from slipping downwardly, the engagement of the plateg with the slotted rib preventing lateral movement of the button-tube.Said tube is therefore firmly supported at its lower end, the describedconstruction being such that the lower end of the tube may be readilyraised from the said lower support and then withdrawn from the holder 6by an endless movement. I do not limit myself, however, to the lowersupport, and may rely entirely on the holder e as the support of thebutton-tube.

The agitator for the buttons in the reservoir a is here shown as a shaftA, journaled in a bearing in the bottom of the reservoir, and having ahead B within the reservoir, to which are attached radiating tufts O Oof bristles. The shaftA is reversely rotated by means presentlydescribed, and the brushes are thus caused to agitate the buttons sothat they will pass one by one into the outlet or outlets and fill thebutton tube or tubes.

The shaft A is provided with a crank or arm E at its lower end, which isconnected by a rod F with a crank G on a shaft II. Said shaft H isjournaled in a bearing M on the supporting-standard, and is movableendwise in said bearing. A spring N, interposed between the crank G anda loose pulley J on said shaft, normally holds the shaft in the positionshown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, in

stud, revolved by the rotation of the pulley,

will revolve the crank. The motion thus imparted to the crank iscommunicated through the rod F and crank E to the shaft A, which isthereby rocked or reversely rotated. The shaft II is held in theposition last described by a finger K on the inner side of a knob L,mounted loosely on the shaft H, said finger bearing against one end ofthe bearing M, as shown in Figs. 6 and '7. YVhen it is desirable to stopthe operation of the agitator, the operator turns the knob L until thefinger K coincides with a socket K, formed to receive it in the bearingM, said socket permitting the knob L and shaft H to be moved by thespring N to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. The operatoris thus enabled to readily start and stop the agitator. When a buttontube or tubes are applied to the holder, as described, they require noattention until they are filled, when they are removed and applied tothe button-sewing machines and empty tubes substituted for them.

Although I have described the machine as adapted to deal withshoe-buttons, it is obvious that it may be constructed to feed otherdevicessuch as nails, staples, or other metallic fasteningsto a holderor receiver to be used in an organized machine for applying or insertingsaid devices.

I claim 1. The combination of a button-reservoir provided with an outlet0, formed to permit the passage of buttons from the reservoir, anagitator in said reservoir, the inclined and extended base having asocket or holder formed to receive and permit the removal of one end ofa button-receiving tube,'and the springpressed gate or stop supported bysaid base and having a beveled face arranged to be acted 011 by the saidtube when the latter is inserted in the socket, as set forth.

2. The combination of a button-reservoir provided with an outlet 0,formed to permit the passage of buttons from the reservoir, an agitatorin said reservoir, the inclined and extended base havinga socket orholder formed to receive the upper end of a removable button-receivingtube, and a support for the lower end of said tube havinga seat or restfor the latter, whereby the tube is held in engagement with the socket,as set forth.

3. The combination of a button-reservoir having an outlet 0, an agitatorwithin said reservoir, the inclined base havinga tube-receiving socketforming a continuation of the outlet, and the fixed arm t, arranged tosupport the lower end of a tube whose upper end is inserted in the saidsocket, said arm having an inclined seat 10 and upwardly-projecting lugQ), as set forth.

4:. The combination of the reservoir, the agitator therein, thesupporting-standard, the longitudinally-movable shaft having a crankwhich is connected with a crank on the agitator, the loosedriving-pulley on said shaft, said pulley having a projection adapted toengage the crank on said shaft, a spring whereby the shaft is normallymoved to hold the crank out of the path of said projection, and I 5 aknob mounted loosely on the shaft and having a finger whereby the shaftmaybe held in engagement with said projection, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of 20 two subscribing witnesses, this 18th day of June, A. D.1889.

' JOSEPH MATHISON.

Witnesses:

O. F. BROWN, A. I). HARRISON.

